The Ripple Effect
by thinktink2
Summary: The O.C. gang heads to the Vegas again for some more fun, and wind up with more than they bargained for when the cataclysmic choice of two members affects everyone's lives. SethSummer, RyanMarissa.
1. The Big Question

Disclaimer: I don't own the O.C. or any of its characters, but I sure enjoy the fanfiction possibilities they create. So please, don't sue, because I obviously don't have a life or any money.

Takes place about four years from when we first met Ryan. I have seen but few episodes of the second season (I did manage to catch all of the ones from the first, courtesy of the awesome DVD set that is out), so please forgive any errors on that part. I am especially sketchy about all the minor details that happened in the first four eps of the second season, so again, my sincere apologies to any mistakes made due to that lack of knowledge.

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Ryan Atwood rolled his eyes at the back of his best friend's head. Seth Cohen was rattling on about the good fortune of having, after nearly four-odd years, re-won the affection of his great love, Summer Roberts. Summer, the girl Seth named his boat after. Summer, who Seth had pined after for nearly the entirety of his formative years. Summer, who had made a man out of Seth Cohen.

Ryan's great love, Marissa Cooper, sat beside him on the bed, a smile of amusement on her face as she listened to her friend babble. Ryan could relate to Seth's feeling of elation. Ryan's past with Marissa was even more tumultuous than Seth's with Summer. After four years of misunderstandings, misfortunes, missed opportunities and missed communications, they had somehow slowly come full circle and were once again drifting cautiously in the distantly familiar realm of coupledom. Ryan was at a loss as to how to explain it. After so much time spent staring across tables and rooms, and over other people's shoulders at one another, they were once again actively spending time together, alone, instead of allowing fate, or more precisely Seth and Summer and their other friends, to dictate their social hours. It wasn't like they had been avoiding each other in the past four years. They spent time together, hung out. Sought out each other's opinion and perspective, and enjoyed private moments that harkened back to an earlier time when, long ago, he had been the new mysterious bad boy who had lusted after—and loved—the beautiful girl next door. It just seemed that, now, those private moments held an element of promise and romance that had long been absent, or more accurately, buried, as people and circumstances drove them further apart after that first heady year of conflict and romance.

Marissa and Ryan's re-coupling had been a slow burn and still had a long way to go before it reached the passionate blaze of Seth and Summer's relationship. In fact, the only person who knew of their rekindling was Seth, but then, rarely did anything as juicy as 'Ryan and Marissa getting back together' escape Seth's notice. However, Seth had made good on his promise to keep quiet, and as far Ryan knew, no one-possibly not even Summer-knew about their relationship.

Ryan looked up when he felt a pressure in his side. He glanced at Seth, still gesticulating and talking a mile a minute, and then at Marissa when she elbowed him again. She and Ryan shared a secret smile and Ryan rolled his eyes again. Marissa smothered a laugh with the back of her hand, her eyes sparkling in amusement, and Ryan felt himself grin widely at her unfettered expression. Seth broke off abruptly.

"What are you two lovebirds smiling about? Got a weekend special planned?"

"What? No," Marissa retorted, dropping her eyes down to her lap before sharing another shy smile with Ryan. Seth groaned.

"What?" Marissa asked again, honestly perplexed. Ryan just watched her, watching the way her brows furrowed just slightly, as her eyes crinkled. At twenty she was still as beautiful and exotic looking as when he first met her. She still retained that classical beauty that had drawn him to her, but he could see the tentative signs of maturity that had crept into her eyes and smile. She had lived a lot in four years. Sometimes Ryan could hardly believe they were together again after all that had transpired. Her parents' divorce. Theresa and the baby that wasn't his, as it turned out. Her alcoholism, his reluctance to let anyone in too close. Luke, Alex, Lindsay, D.J., her mom, Caleb Nichol, her dad. Even school had threatened to widen the gap, perhaps permanently, before at the last moment Marissa had turned down a two-year study program in fashion-conscious Paris to attend USC with Ryan, Seth and Summer. The decision had angered her mother, and Ryan at least partly suspected that the new development in his and Marissa's relationship was due to a mother-daughter freeze out by Julie Cooper. It seemed whenever serious rifts occurred in Marissa's relationship with her mom she turned to Ryan for support.

"You guys are worse than my parents. Seriously if I weren't here, you two would be all over each other right now."

"So why don't you leave?" Ryan interjected, giving Seth a pointed look.

"You two are so happy, it's, honestly, it's a bit unnerving, and frankly, a little bit scary on you, Ryan. Really, if you smiled any wider I think your jaw would break."

"Not unlike somebody else's," Ryan muttered.

"You're Ryan and Marissa. Ryan, brood. Marissa, cry."

"Hey!" Marissa cried, mock offended.

"Anyway, so what do you guys think?" Seth asked, returning to the subject at hand, which, Ryan realized with a jolt, he had no idea of.

"Hmm, I don't know," Marissa said, mulling over whatever concept Seth had presented. "I mean, it sounds kind of nice, but Vegas?"

"Vegas?" Ryan repeated, wondering what exactly he had missed when he had been admiring Marissa's better attributes.

"Yes, Ryan, the Vegas. Weren't you listening?"

"Uh, yeah, of course, the Vegas."

"Great, so what do you think?" _About what?_ Ryan wanted to ask.

"Uh, I, uh, think it's a great idea," Ryan said, glancing at Marissa who was staring back with a look of incredulity.

"You do?" She and Seth repeated in unison.

"Yeah, I mean, what's not to like. It's The Vegas."

"Exactly," Seth nodded. Marissa kept staring before finally looking away and shaking her head.

"What?" he whispered, but Seth's next comment distracted him from pursuing the matter further.

"Oh, my, God! You guys should come! Ryan! You could be best man, and Marissa; you could be maid of honor. Except of course, Summer won't know that's why you guys are going, she'll just think that you're going because we're all going and that this is just some family outing kind of thing, like Tijuana or the time we all went to see the nana in Miami for spring break, you know. And then when I pop the question, We'll be good to go. Just roll our little wedding party out the door and to the nearest all night chapel."

"Wait, wedding party? Best man?" A feeling a dread began to settle in Ryan's stomach. "What question?"

"_The_ question, Ryan. The big question."

"'Will you marry me, Summer?'" Marissa clarified.

"What?" Ryan choked.

"Oh, it sounds so good when you say it. Yes, that is the plan. So, you guys are coming, right? Wedding of the century, you wouldn't want to miss it?"

"No," Marissa shook her head, giving Ryan another look. "Of course we'll come, won't we, Ryan?"

"Wha—yeah, yeah, we'll come."

"Awesome! And Ryan, you'll be my best man, right? 'Cause, you're like a brother to me, and I can't imagine anybody else filling those shoes, you know."

"No, of course," Ryan answered weakly.

"This is great. You and I, taking our honeys, maybe a couple a six-packs, and heading out for some fun in the sun in sin city, and then later in the evening we all rent a convertible and do a drive-by wedding. This is so great!"

"Yeah," Marissa murmured. "Great."

Ryan nodded dazedly in agreement.

_Oh, Christ, what exactly did I just agree to?_


	2. The Cliches

AN: Thanks for the reviews! Also, yes, this will be a bit more one sided (okay a lot more one sided) with the Ryan/Marissa angle, but there will be a little Seth/Summer as the story progresses.

"Okay, what was that about?" Ryan asked as soon as Seth bounced out of the room.

"Weren't you listening?"

"No, I think that should have been obvious by my answer."

"Seth's planning to elope with Summer this weekend."

"That's what that sounded like."

"Yeah."

"Didn't they just get back together, what, not even two months ago."

"Pretty much," Marissa agreed, picking at a piece of lint on her pants.

"I'm not so sure this is a good idea," Ryan continued, leaning back against the wall. They were still sitting side by side on Ryan's dorm bed, Marissa with her legs crossed under her, Indian style, and Ryan with his black leather booted feet sprawled out before him.

"You think?" Marissa looked up accusingly.

"What?"

"You couldn't have said that when he asked?"

"I didn't know what he was asking."

"Eloping in Vegas? What did you think he was asking?"

Ryan held out his hands in defense. "I don't know, I wasn't listening, okay. My mind was occupied with other things."

"What things?" Marissa asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I don't…just, things. Why didn't _you_ say anything?"

"I did. Sort of," she amended at Ryan's disbelieving look. " But, you're closer to him, and he would listen to what you have to say."

"Based on…what, that fact he's never listened to anything I've said?"

"Oh, come on. He has, too."

"Rarely. Believe me, if Seth has his mind set on an idea, it's going to take a lot more than me to dissuade him."

"Well, you better hope that the super team of Ryan and Marissa can do it, because if he actually decides to pop the question in Vegas we're going to have a mess to deal with, and I was actually looking forward to a stress-free weekend together."

"What? And you don't think we'll find that in the Vegas?" Ryan asked innocently.

"Are you kidding me? I heard about your guys' last trip."

"That was all Seth."

"That's not how Summer told it."

"Hey, I didn't commission the pimp and the hookers," Ryan defended, crossing his arms over his chest. Marissa loved the way his biceps bulged against his shirtsleeves.

"No, you just paid for it," She replied with a hint of a smile.

"You're going to pay for that," he warned, biting the inside of his cheek. It didn't work. He could feel his lips pull apart into a smile. Without warning he yanked Marissa forward, falling back on the mattress so that her body was lying prostrate across his, her face just inches from his. Her long hair fell carelessly over her face and onto his cheek and chin. He reached a hand up and smoothed it away, his fingers lingering against his will on her warm soft skin.

_I love you_.

He almost said it.

It was right there, on the tip of his tongue, threatening to fall from temperate lips as he gazed into her eyes.

He would have to be the first to say it. In the great order of their relationship he was due.

She had said it last, when they had danced together at her mother's wedding to Caleb Nichol, right before he left. Back to Chino. Back to Theresa and the life he had known before Newport and Marissa Cooper.

Seth, at times tactless, was nonetheless usually accurate in his observations. He _was_ happy. He was with Marissa and Marissa had nearly always made him happy.

_I love you_, he dared to think again as he pressed his mouth against Marissa's and felt her respond.

He was scared of moving too fast. Too far forward. Their relationship was still new and uncertain, and while he was certain that he had never really fallen out of love with Marissa Cooper, he couldn't say the same for her. He was afraid if he said it, she would disappear, the way he disappeared when she said it.

"Are you staying here tonight?" he murmured into her hair as they broke for air. She shifted slightly, and settled beside him, nested safely between his body and the wall, her head tucked into the crook of his neck. Her silent declaration that she had no intention of going anywhere.

"Sure, if you and Seth don't mind," she whispered back, resting her thin arm on his chest. He reached over and clicked off the desk lamp, bathing the room momentarily in suffocating darkness.

"Seth doesn't mind," Ryan assured her, though he had never really asked. He doubted very much, though, that Seth would be back to the dorm room tonight. Since he and Summer had become an item again, he had been spending a good portion of his nights with her. Since Summer was Marissa's roommate that worked out fine for everyone involved. Though, on second thought, Ryan wondered how Summer _couldn't_ know about Marissa and Ryan again. Leaving aside that she was still Marissa's best friend and could very well be in the loop, and that Seth most likely had blurted it out to her at some point, Ryan couldn't understand how she wouldn't ask where Marissa had stayed every time Seth frequented her room.

"Does Summer know you spend the night here?" he asked, wondering why he had brought it up, and why her answer was so important.

"Yeah, I told her I've stayed here a couple times," she mumbled into his neck, tickling the skin there with her warm breath and soft hair.

We've spent the night together more than that, he thought. He instinctively pulled Marissa closer as he tried to add up the mornings he had had to disentangle himself from her embrace. And the three mornings when, after she had hogged too much of the twin-sized bed, she had sent him crashing to consciousness onto the floor. He remembered the first time how she had laughed. Her expression so contrite and yet unabashedly amused, the thin comforter wrapped tightly around her body as she sputtered an apology. The way she had squealed with delight when he exacted his mock revenge.

The way Seth had backed so fast out of the room he had knocked into Ryan's drafting table and sent the Essex plans feathering to the floor.

After four years, Seth still hadn't learned the art of knocking before entering. Then again it _was_ his room, too.

"Usually I tell her I crashed with a friend, but sometimes, I tell her you let me crash in your room."

"Does she know about us?"

There was a pause, and Ryan moved away, turning so he could lie on his side and face Marissa. He could just barely make out her features, the image before him undoubtedly sharper by the memories he had of how her face looked in certain settings. He was sure her cheeks were flushed and her eyes darkened, as they always were after a makeout session.

"I think so," Marissa said slowly. "I haven't said anything, but I think she knows. She never presses for any details. It's kind of like we have an unspoken agreement. She doesn't accuse and I don't deny."

"Seth probably told her."

"Well, that's okay, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he admitted, lacing his fingers through hers and leaning in for another kiss.

"Good," she whispered. Ryan could make out the faint gleam of white teeth and knew she was smiling that secret smile of hers.

"Good," he agreed, as he rolled her underneath him, the coldness of the wall pressing inhospitably against his left shoulder.

"Great," she whispered before slipping her hands behind his ears and angling his mouth onto hers.

"So what are we going to do about Seth and the Vegas," he asked, and hating himself as soon as he felt the coolness of the room accost his wet lips.

"We'll think of something in the morning," she promised, shifting her hips slightly, allowing their bodies to mold together in that perfect fit that Ryan often marveled over. Made for each other. That's what it made Ryan think of. And he wasn't even sure if he even believed in that sort of thing. That two people were Made for Each Other. Or Love At First Sight. Fate.

The problem with Marissa was he couldn't describe anything about his relationship with her without using all three of those cliché's.


	3. The Preflight Checklist

AN: Someone asked in a review if this story would be more RM than SS. As I am a big RM fan, yes, this story is definitely leaning more that way. But I also enjoy the SS relationship, but it won't be the real focus of this story. Sorry to disappoint anyone.

"You all set?"

Ryan set his garment and duffle bags on the floor and took a seat in Summer's desk chair. Marissa's was piled high with textbooks and notebooks, a couple of shirts and what looked suspiciously like his old black leather jacket. He had given it to her to wear a couple of weeks ago when they had attended a particularly frigid tailgate party and, come to think of it, he hadn't seen it since.

"Is that my jacket?" he asked, indicating the black bundle draped over half the stack. It was held in place with a smaller stack of approximately five textbooks lying on top of it.

Marissa paused in her packing and turned to look at the item in question.

"Oh, yeah," she acknowledged, grabbing a pair of shoes from underneath the desk and stuffing them in a side pocket. "Remember I borrowed it?"

"Yeah, I remember," he said. He couldn't believe he still carried that jacket around after all these years. He had had it ever since his fourteenth birthday—a gift (the only one) to himself after saving for a better part of a year. He had asked him mom for one, but she had dismissed the idea with a wave of her drunken hand, saying it was too expensive. So he had spent a good portion of his freshman year saving and resaving, after often finding his hard earned money gone or nearly gone, courtesy of Trey, his mom, and whatever flavor of the month she was currently dating. He had worn that jacket when he had first met the Cohens, and Marissa. It was going on seven years old and still in pretty good shape. He rarely wore it after he moved in with the Cohens. He wondered vaguely why he hadn't given it away after all these years, why he had even packed it away with him for college. He seriously doubted that even Seth had clothing over half a decade old, and he knew Marissa didn't.

"Do you think I should pack my Donna Karen or my Versace dress?" Marissa presented each dress for consideration, both looking remarkably similar in style and color. The first was in a deep blue satiny type material, and the other in black silk.

"Uh, the blue one looks nice," he offered and hoped it was right thing to say. Marissa twisted her arm around and pulled the garment towards her, considering.

"Donna Karen it is. Now, where did I put the shoes that go with this?"

Ryan repressed the urge to sigh and obviously didn't succeed at it. Marissa looked up at him with an amused half-grin.

"I know, I know. I'll only be a few minutes longer."

"That's what you said a few minutes ago," he reminded her, trying his best not to sound whiny. But really, how long did it take someone to pack? They were only going to be gone for three days. They spent less time in Tijuana and even with the sudden decision to go down there Marissa was packed with a small overnight bag in less than twenty minutes. Marissa grinned and stepped forward to place a placating kiss on his lips.

"Hey, it's not everyday our friends get married. I want to look good."

"You always look good," he argued, knowing it was fruitless. "And I thought we were going to talk them out of getting married."

"We are."

"Then why do you need the Donna Karen dress?"

"I'm just trying to plan for every possibility."

Ryan raised his eyebrows but said nothing. His best suit was packed in the garment bag, ready for best man duty should he be called up. He didn't feel the need to draw attention to it or draw himself in an argument with Marissa that he wasn't sure he could win.

"Seth said our flight takes off at six-thirty," he tried again.

"I'll be ready," she replied without batting an eye. Instead she turned to her closet, crammed full of Summer's and her clothes and shoes. She knelt down and began digging through the mass of Jimmy Choos lying at the bottom of her side of the closet.

"It's after four," he hinted.

"We still have plenty of time," she returned. "A-ha!" She swiveled triumphantly to face him, holding out a pair of navy jeweled sling backs, and one lone white heeled sandal hanging off the strap. "Where did this come from?" she muttered in consternation. Ryan rolled his eyes and didn't bother trying to hide his sigh. Marissa frowned at him.

"Oh!" She stuck her head back between the clothes and returned with the sandal's mate. Then she got to her feet and began rooting around the garments hanging from the bowing rod until she selected a white one and pulled it off the rack. "I remember this dress. I got it when I was in London this summer."

"Looks nice," he offered. "You were in London?"

"Yeah, for the fashion shoot near Buckingham palace. We took the tube from Paris and spent a weekend there. I don't know why I bought it." She stared at the bodice, running her fingers over the silky material. "It kind of looks like the one I wore to Cotillion. Remember?" She held the dress up against her body and twirled. It did look kind of like the one she wore all those years ago—strapless with a flowing skirt.

"Yeah, I remember," he said softly. Why did everything seem so long ago? "Whatever happened to that dress?"

"I still have it. It's buried at the back of my closet at my mom's house." Ryan raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"It's too beautiful to give away," she explained, but she turned away before he could respond to her remark. She carefully pinned the dress to her body with her arm as she regarded her reflection in the mirror. "I think I'll take this one."

"Are you sure?" he replied. "It seems a little dressy for the drive-in chapel Seth has in mind."

"He is _not_ going to marry my best friend at some drive-in wedding place. Even if Summer is crazy enough to say yes, there's no way she'd stand up for a mcwedding."

"She won't have to. She'll be in the car. Sitting," Ryan reminded her with a smirk. Marissa threw a shoe in his direction. It bounced harmlessly off Summer's bed.

"You know what I mean. Besides, if I don't wear it now, I may never get the chance. And maybe Summer can use it as a wedding dress. She loves it."

Ryan shrugged in agreement and watched as she carefully packed it away in her garment bag. She had just replaced the navy shoes in her overnight bag with the white ones when Seth and Summer came bounding into the room.

"Hey Coop, all set?"

"Just about. I've got my makeup bag and then I'm ready."

"Finally," Seth breathed in annoyance. Ryan nodded his agreement.

"Whatever. We just spent more time packing your things then we did mine," Summer pointed out.

"Summer, this is the Vegas, okay? I have my reputation as a player. I have to look fly."

"Whatever," Summer tossed back. "I still don't see why you spent a half an hour just checking and rechecking every pocket for your antihistamine."

"Because Summer, this is our vacation and I don't want to spend it cranky and sleepless with allergies."

"Hey, have you seen my moisturizer?" Marissa cut in, glancing around the room.

"Oh, I borrowed it," Summer replied. "I think I left it in the bathroom. I'll get it."

"Thanks."

As soon as she disappeared Seth whirled to Ryan. "Here," he whispered loudly. "You have to hang on to it," he pleaded.

"What is it?" Ryan whispered back.

"The ring. I've been going crazy. I keep thinking I've misplaced it."

"Oooh," Marissa crooned, stepping over Ryan's bags to get a better look. "Let's see it."

"Here you go, Coop." Three heads jumped guiltily at the intrusion. Seth turned to face Summer, while Ryan deftly slipped the velvet box into an inner pocket of his jacket.

"Thanks, Sum," Marissa said brightly.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking from each expectant face.

"Nothing," Seth said smoothly, grabbing her arm and leading her out of the room. "We're going to load up and get the car ready."

"Okay," Ryan and Marissa nodded. Ryan reached down and grabbed hold of his bags and Marissa's, while Marissa shoved her hands in her pockets. "We'll be down in a second."

"I just have a few more things," Marissa called out to Seth's retreating form. Summer threw her a questioning look while Ryan muttered something under his breath. Marissa glared at him. He stared back unrepentantly.

"Go ahead and leave without us," he called. "We'll catch up at the airport. Maybe." Marissa gave him another glare. "Ow," he muttered, dropping a bag to rub the spot on his arm where she just pinched it.

"Funny."


	4. The Avoidance of Issues

"See, I told you we'd make it in plenty of time," Marissa stated triumphantly, reaching up to adjust the fan above her. Ryan heard the hiss of air closing off.

"We just barely made final announcement," he countered.

"So? We're on the plane aren't we?"

"Whew! Vegas! Are you excited, Coop?" Summer squealed, leaning across the aisle, and Ryan, to share a smile with her friend.

"First class, it is the only way to fly," Seth commented. It was the only way Ryan had ever flown. He wondered who was footing this bill to Vegas. He suspected Sandy Cohen was, but just hadn't received the credit card bill and realized it.

"Are you kidding me, Sum, I feel like I've been waiting all semester for a break like this."

"I know what you mean. If I had to write one more term paper or give one more presentation I was going to hit something."

"And by something, she means me," Seth put it.

"You actually write your own term papers?" Ryan asked incredulously. Summer gave him a withering glare, while Seth smirked and Marissa swatted him lightly on the arm.

"Yes, Chino, I _can_ write if the situation requires it. And very well, mind you."

"I'm beyond words." Summer rolled her eyes. Ryan grinned and went back to reading the emergency procedures. This was only his third time flying. The first was when he, Seth, Marissa, and Summer flew out to see Seth's nana for spring break four years ago. The second was last summer, when he and Kirsten had flown to Washington for her dad's business for some dinner with a congressman Caleb had been trying to woo for his next big moneymaking project. Ryan had been commissioned for some drafts of a relatively unimportant building in the complex Caleb was proposing. He had spent his last three summers since graduating high school working for the Newport group, much to Kirsten's delight and Caleb's chagrin. However even Caleb conceded (grudgingly) he had some talent and had allowed Kirsten to give Ryan an internship there for the past couple of summers and, starting his senior year this coming August, he would spend two days actively designing for the company and the other three studying for his degree in architecture. Kirsten had hinted heavily that there would be a job waiting for him upon completion of his degree, but Ryan wasn't sure about working under Caleb Nichol. The man was powerful and, sure, there was ample opportunity to take on some amazing projects, but the thought of being under the thumb of a man Ryan could hardly stand was enough to keep his enthusiasm at bay.

"Are you going to be okay?" Ryan looked up into Marissa's concerned eyes and forced a smile.

"Of course. I love flying," he lied. _Although a person should not be jetting across the horizon at 6000 feet in a tin can._ Marissa gave him a look that said she believed otherwise but, with a reassuring pat on his arm, she left it at that. She and Summer chatted away about school while the plane readied for take off. When the flight attendant came over the intercom and began the necessary instructions, Ryan stiffened in his seat and put the emergency procedures away. He felt Marissa lace her fingers through his and gave her a grateful smile. He was glad he wasn't sitting near the window and that it was dark outside anyway. He closed his eyes as the plane began to taxi down the runway and reminded himself not to squeeze Marissa's delicate hand to tightly. He opened them again when he felt a gentle squeeze from Marissa and realized they had leveled off.

The Vegas awaited.

"Finally," Ryan breathed, dumping his and Marissa's bags onto the queen-sized bed in a heap. Marissa followed behind, carefully observing the amenities, the view, and the door that connected their room with Seth's and Summer's. She carefully shifted the lock and heard the other side clunk and snap as Seth ripped open his connecting door.

"Isn't this great!" Seth shouted. Marissa winced and smiled. "Ryan, hey, Ryan," Seth stage-whispered, even though he was only ten feet away.

"What?" Ryan asked in annoyance.

"You still got the ring?"

"Yes, it's right here." He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out the black velvet box.

"Awesome. Hang onto it for me, okay."

"But—" Ryan began, throwing a desperate look at Marissa.

"Just a little while longer. I've got to go over some arrangements with the maitre'd."

"Wait, are you going to propose tonight?" Marissa asked, drifting over to Seth and Ryan after a quick glance into Seth and Summer's room.

"Yeah." He looked questioningly from Marissa and Ryan as they digested this piece of information. It didn't look like it was settling well on the stomach. "What?"

"It's just that we thought—" Ryan indicated he and Marissa—"you planned on proposing tomorrow." Seth nodded in understanding although he really didn't see what the point was.

_And if you proposed tomorrow, that would give us all of tonight to figure out how to talk you out of this hare-brained idea,_ Ryan finished silently in his head.

"Okay. Okay," Seth said slowly, clearly not getting it, "Well, I plan on taking myself off the market tonight, and I really need to get everything set up while Summer's in the shower."

"Well, technically you're off the market now," Ryan pointed out, risking a hurried glance to Marissa for help. "I mean, you _are_ in a committed relationship with Summer."

"Yeah, and besides, Summer's only going to be in the shower for another fifteen minutes anyway. You won't be able to make it to the lobby in that amount of time," Marissa added, shrugging minutely at Ryan's look of frustration at her weak attempt at dissuading Seth from fulfilling his plans.

"Which is why I need for you and Ryan to distract her."

"What!" Ryan yelled, remembering to lower his voice at the last moment. Summer, if indeed in the shower, probably couldn't hear him anyway over the rush of the water.

"Just for a half-hour or so. An hour tops."

"An hour!" Ryan exclaimed in disbelief.

"Wouldn't your preparations be better left until tomorrow?" Marissa cut in. "I mean, you want everything to be perfect, right? I mean, this _is_ Summer. You wouldn't to risk ruining the biggest moment in your life? The defining moment of your relationship? If you wait," Marissa emphasized glancing carefully at Ryan, "Ryan and I can help you plan. We can go over each and every thing and _point out potential pitfalls_." She shared another look with Ryan.

_Like, Aren't you guys a little young to get married? This is a bad idea. How are you guys going to support yourselves? You're still in college. Her dad hates you. Neither of you has jobs. You've only been together for two months; don't you think you might be rushing it? Where are you going to live? This could be the biggest mistake of your lives. _

"Right," Ryan agreed, "we wouldn't want you to _rush_ something and make a _mistake_."

The subtle jab failed to register with the now preoccupied Seth.

"You know, you could be right. You guys would really help me with that?"

Ryan sighed in exasperation and locked eyes with Marissa.

"Yeah," she shrugged as nonchalantly as possible, "we'd love to."

"You guys are the best. Thanks!" Seth patted Ryan on the shoulder and turned to leave.

"Wait, what about the ring?" Ryan whispered loudly.

"You hang on to it, buddy. Wouldn't want Summer to stumble across it and ruin the surprise."

"Right. Thanks."

"Thank _you_," Seth replied and waltzed into his room whistling off-key. Marissa closed her side of the door behind him as Ryan sat down on the bed tiredly. She shoved her makeup bag out of the way and sat down beside him.

"It might actually be better if you do hang on to it," Marissa pointed out. "At least this way he can't get married without it."

"Good point," Ryan admitted. "Good thinking with that waiting and pointing out the flaws thing."

"Thanks."

"No, thank _you," _he murmured, slipping a hand behind her neck and guiding her face to his. He felt a sigh of pleasure escape her mouth as their lips touched. Felt the same emotion that made him want to impulsively pull away and tell her he loved her. Instead he stood up abruptly, unable to deal with the conflict churning inside and strode to the window. Once there, he had no idea how to proceed. He felt stupid, and worse he could feel the confusion and hurt in Marissa's eyes on his back and he could offer no plausible excuse for his erratic behavior.

There hadn't been any great strides made in getting Ryan Atwood to talk. To loosen up and let people in, let them see and know the real Ryan. Any success had only been attained by stubborn persistence on the part of that particular person and circumstance. And admittedly no one was more stubborn than Marissa. And the Cohens, for that matter.

Seth and Marissa, Sandy and Kirsten—they _had_ made the most progress out of the people he had known, but when it came to his past, to the moments and instances that defined how he processed future situations and emotions, he was still as reticent as Seth and Marissa had once accused him of being. And that, more than anything, was always going to be his downfall with his relationship with Marissa. It was like pulling teeth sometimes, and he knew it. He knew it frustrated her. She was forthcoming with her thoughts and emotions, but he rarely let her in on his.

He glanced back at her, torn between remaining where he was and striding back to the bed to kiss her. Make love to her. They had never embarked on that particular journey. In the five-odd months they had now been together, and their first stint at courtship, they had never crossed that line. For all the nights Marissa had spent with him, it had always amounted at most to some heavy making out and spooning. Sometimes, it was just the comfort of having each other near. But for some reason, despite the triviality with which some of their fellow students regarded sex, they had each unspokenly seen it as something more meaningful between them than just a way to spend a Thursday night.

Ryan wished they would just get it over with. It was starting to mean something to which he didn't want to give more thought to. What he didn't know was that Marissa felt the same way. As though just giving in would somehow lessen the complexity and depth of the feelings between them. Ryan wasn't inclined to view sex as an act of love, but after Theresa, and the baby fiasco, he did give it—and the consequences—more respect. But, as he had rarely been in love with the person he engaged in the act with, he didn't want it to mean as much as he instinctively knew it would with Marissa.

Marissa, too, was starting to feel the weight of their relationship. The pressure of the denials. The fact that in all the intense months of their relationship they hadn't done the deed seemed to press onto her a significance she, too, was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with. The one time when either party had actively tried to pull their relationship in that direction, the other had rightfully put the brakes on. She had been offering herself for the wrong reasons, and he had moved faster than she was comfortable with after proceeding too quickly with Luke.

She was uncertain about where she stood. She knew that her decision to attend USC instead of going to Paris had thrown him for a loop. He seemed equally surprised when she had started to seek out his personal companionship, especially when there was a whole new dating pool at college. She had dated a few guys while at USC, but none of them knew her history, and knew her the way Ryan did. At first she thought that would ultimately be the best thing. Finally a place where not everyone knew every personal detail about her life and her family. But oddly, she found herself not as comfortable with that fact as she had believed she would. So when Ryan's girlfriend had broken things off over the summer, she had quietly reinserted herself back into his life.

And scarier still, she had felt herself happier and more open than she had ever been as a relatively unknown freshman. She was comfortable being herself with him, glaring flaws and all, and it was a relief that it seemed he welcomed the transition from friends to something more significant between them again.

But how significant she didn't know and she felt terrified of pushing the boundaries too far to find out. Things were good between them, and while there was a distinct possibility of it being great, if they could each get over their own fears, neither was about to test the situation for fear of losing the other again. It was ironic, really. Seth would have appreciated the situation. They desperately needed and loved one another but they weren't about to admit it and risk looking like a fool in front of the other. So instead they were constantly at a stalemate that posed an even greater risk of blowing things apart.

"I think I'm going to take a shower," he said lamely, gesturing towards the bathroom. "Unless you want to get in first."

"Uh, no, no, go right ahead. I'm just going to…unpack," Marissa finished, avoiding his eyes.

"Okay." Ryan nodded, but stayed rooted to the spot by the window. He stared out at the parking lot, taking in the bright lights of Vegas at night. Abruptly he turned away and strode to where Marissa was slowly gathering her things off the bed. He reached for her right hand and placed something into the palm of it.

"Hang on to this for me, will you? I don't want it to get lost." He turned away before she could answer and started rummaging around in his overnight bag for his clothes and shaving kit.

"Wow," he heard Marissa gasp. He turned questioningly back to her. She held out the open ring box and presented Summer's engagement ring for his inspection.

"Wow," he echoed. "I'm no diamond expert, but that looks really expensive."

"It is. It has to be at least three carats. Platinum setting."

"How do you know?" He asked, but Marissa merely shrugged. He supposed it was something every Newport girl probably picked up on. They were probably all amateur diamond experts, having seen everything from garishly expensive to classic elegance waved under their noses from the time they could walk. He watched as Marissa carefully plucked the ring from its cushion and peered critically at the gem.

"It's beautiful," Ryan offered. Marissa nodded.

"He spent a lot of money on this." She looked at Ryan expectantly.

"Do you think we should support them or try to talk them out of it?" Ryan asked.

"There are arguments for both sides."

"Seems like there's more for one side than the other."

Marissa nodded again. "I know." She peered at the ring again. "And besides, it's not like we're arguing against the marriage. We just think they should post pone it."

"Right. Exactly."

"Right." She gently replaced the ring into its box and allowed it to close with a snap. She kept her eyes on the box and the floor silently contemplating the huge decision her friends were facing. She felt a twinge of envy. Even if it wasn't the right decision, they were willing to take that leap. Or at least Seth was and deep down she felt Summer would ultimately agree to it, too. They were in love. And they weren't afraid to admit or declare it.

She was in love. But where once those three little words had danced off her tongue they now stumbled and tripped, afraid of stepping on her partner's toes. She wasn't sure when everything with Ryan got so heavy and complicated again. It was always when she was contemplating the future that it became almost unbearable. As long as they were in the moment, they were fine. But when Marissa thought about her life a month, even a year from now, she inadvertently always imagined Ryan somehow with her. She didn't know why they just couldn't love each other like Seth and Summer. Without a care to all the things that could potentially happen in between the kisses of now and the dreams of the future. She wanted to love Ryan without abandon.

But that was the problem, she realized. Everyone who had loved, or claimed to love Ryan eventually abandoned him. She hadn't really abandoned him. He had _her_. But she hadn't been waiting for him when he got back and she wondered if he considered it the same thing. She thought about D.J. and the all the mistakes she had made in giving her heart to someone. Risking loving them. And she could see why Ryan was so hesitant to do it. After all the heartaches she had endured, she wasn't any closer to figuring it all out.

And really, what was her example? Her relationship with her mom? Her parents' relationship? She certainly wasn't the product of a well adjusted home. Seth, coming from the example of Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, was probably more in tune to what real love was and what a real relationship involved than either her or Ryan. Out of all of them, he probably had the best chance for success. But she felt what she and Ryan shared was something real. Something deep and significant and that could withstand the turbulent path of true love.

In some ways it had already. They were together again.

Marissa looked up from the ring she still held in her outstretched hand and into Ryan's cornflower blue gaze. He always liked to watch her when she wasn't looking. She often wondered what he was thinking when he gazed at her like that. Generally his eyes were shuttered, but when she met his gaze she realized something. He's just as scared. He felt it, too. She stepped forward uncertainly, letting her arm fall to her side, clutching the ring box tightly in her hand.

She didn't know why she felt the urgency to touch him, hold him after he had essentially pushed her away. She tentatively touched her lips to his and was mildly surprised and elated when his mouth opened up under hers. His muscular arms crushed her slender body to his. His mouth held promise and hope.

"We'll figure it out," he whispered, his voice catching. She leaned her forehead against his and nodded, feeling something in her chest loosen. She knew he wasn't talking about Seth and Summer. She almost said it, those three important, life-altering words. But instead she just listened to his ragged breathing and nodded again.

Yes, they would figure it out.


	5. The Truth Comes Out

Ryan snatched the remote control off the dresser and flopped down on the hotel bed. He tried to push the impending evening disaster out of his mind and instead focus his attention on some mind-numbing television. Things with Seth last night had not gone as planned. He and Marissa had tried to subtlety sway Seth from his marriage plans, but by the end of the very long night they were left wondering if blunt honesty would have been the better route. Before they could make up their minds, Seth had thanked them for their help and went to bed.

He pressed the TV button and started surfing through channels. He was half-dressed, his usual uniform for going out—wife-beater, dress pants and socks, dress shirt, tie and sports coat still hanging from a rod in the armoire—and bored out of his mind. Marissa was still getting ready and he supposed he had another twenty minutes of lying in vegetative state before he would be forced to get up and finish dressing.

Seven minutes into _Dateline News_ Seth rapped on the connecting door. Ryan suppressed a sigh and heaved himself off the bed. The moment he opened the door Seth waltzed in and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"You about ready to go?" he asked, fidgeting with the cuff of his shirt. He glanced up and said with some surprise, as though just noticing, "You're not dressed."

"Marissa's still getting ready," Ryan said, ignoring Seth's anxious expression. Ryan fluffed the pillows he had stacked against the headboard and reclaimed his position on the bed.

"Ryan, dude, we have reservations in, like, twenty minutes, to the most important dinner of my life."

"Yes, you've mentioned that before."

Seth's brow furrowed. There was something there. He was sure of it. Something in Ryan's tone.

"Am I detecting a negative vibe?"

"What? No. No, why would you say that?" Ryan replied, sitting up a little straighter.

And there it was again. That little hitch, the inflection in Ryan's voice.

"Well, there was all of last night," Seth replied slowly, as realization began to dawn. "Every idea I suggested on how to propose to Summer was met with no, or a head shake, or just a flat out argument on how that wasn't a good idea or that it could blow up in my face."

"Well, you wanted it to be perfect, right?" Ryan quickly supplied. But suddenly Seth could sit anymore. He leapt to his feet and began a hurried circle around the tight living area. No, it was more than that, he was sure of it. He kept mulling over the events of last night. The expressions, the shared looks between Marissa and Ryan. The subtle tones and carefully phrased words.

"You don't want me to marry Summer," he stammered loudly, and felt his eyebrows leap higher as he saw Ryan duck his head.

"Keep your voice down, remember?" Ryan hissed, picking up the remote and flicking the TV off. The door to the connecting room was still ajar, though Summer, like Marissa apparently, was still in the bathroom getting ready.

"No, no, no, no," Seth chanted, unable to believe this astounding development. Ryan was supposed to have his back. Ryan was supposed to support him. Ryan was his brother. He was supposed to understand.

"Oh, wow, man, you're not even denying it," Seth continued, in the same disbelieving tone.

"Look, it's not like I'm totally against you and Summer getting married."

But Seth heard the equivocation. _Totally_. As in, Ryan was at least _partially_ against he and Summer getting married.

"But you're not totally supporting it," he shot back. Ryan frowned and looked down at his lap. Seth knew he hit home with that one.

"I can't believe it. You're supposed to have my back," he accused.

"Seth, look. I'm all for you and Summer getting married. One day. But don't you think you're rushing it a little by wanting to do it this weekend." And there it was again. _Rushing it_. He had heard those words plenty of times last night, when both he and Marissa had attempted to reign in his overzealous marriage plans. Now he saw what they were really getting at, and it infuriated him.

"Why?" he demanded. "I love her, she loves me. We should we wait? We're finally back together, and happy."

"Yeah, after two months!" Ryan retorted. He took a conscious effort to calm himself and continued more quietly. "Seth, have you given any thought to your future?"

At any other time it might have amused Seth, this reversal of roles. His lips curled up into a tight smile. How ironic. Ryan—short-tempered Ryan, who never gave a thought about the consequences of his actions before acting on them—was talking to him, Seth, about his future. Ryan, who up until a couple of years ago, never acknowledged the future, or that he might have one. And now, suddenly, he was all about plans, and futures, and thinking before leaping.

Seth almost laughed out loud it was so ridiculous. Ryan, who wasn't even biologically related, was acting more like Seth's parents than Seth. Chalk that one up to the nature vs. nurture argument, he thought. His humor quickly died as Ryan continued.

"I mean, you still have over a year of college left. What are you even going to do once you get married? You don't have a job. Where would you live? How do you expect to support yourselves? Do you really want to be saddled with a wife, and food and rent money? That was almost my life, Seth, and it wasn't pretty."

"Yes, but did you really love Theresa?" Seth challenged, and grinned triumphantly at Ryan's answer.

"No. I didn't," he admitted. "I was trying to do the right thing. But do you really want to be shackled with the responsibilities of caring for another person? Seth you can barely take care of yourself," Ryan pointed out quietly. "And Summer's…is Summer prepared to totally let go of the lifestyle she's known all her life?"

"Who says she has to?" Seth demanded.

"Are you telling me that you can continue giving her that lifestyle? Without a job, a degree, anything? Without the aid of either of your parents?"

Seth pressed his lips tightly together. He couldn't believe he was hearing this.

"It shouldn't matter, because we love each other, okay? Married couples work it out, make sacrifices. Compromise."

"Are you sure you're willing to do that? You might have to compromise your whole life, your future. I did.

"And what about her family? Her dad hates you, Seth. There's no way he's going to react positively to the news that you married his only daughter in some tacky Vegas ceremony. And what about your family, man? Your mom and dad? How do you think they're going to react?" Seth nodded numbly, his jaw tightening.

"And what's to say how you guys may feel five years down the road. I mean, take the worst traits Summer has and multiply them by a hundred. You'll be waking up and living with that everyday of your life, Seth."

"Yeah? Take the best traits and multiply them by a thousand," he countered.

"What if it's not what you both want, in the end? What if it's too much and you wind up hating the person you promised to love? What if guys get a divorce? What if it all winds up to be a huge mistake?"

"Because that's what it's all about right, Ryan?" Seth snapped. "A huge mistake. Just like the huge mistake your parents made. Or the huge mistake Marissa's parents made. Or the huge mistake I made by trying to include you in something that means a lot to me, and thinking you would feel the same way. Well, don't worry, I wouldn't want to taint your image to be apart of it."

"Seth."

"What's going on?" Marissa said, appearing from the bathroom in her beautiful white London gown. Half of her hair was curled, while the other half rested flatly against her head. When she turned to Seth for an explanation, Ryan noticed that the back of her dress was still open.

"Ryan was just explaining it to me," Seth replied snidely.

"Seth, I—"

"No, no really. I think you presented your true thoughts on the subject quite nicely, Ryan."

Ryan looked at Marissa with despair, knowing that everything he had just said had made no impact other than riling Seth. He frowned in consternation when Seth held out his hand.

"The ring."

"Seth," Ryan warned, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Seth, wait," Marissa implored. "Let's talk about this."

"Ryan and I already did. I'm assuming your opinion hasn't changed from those you voiced last night," Seth remarked coldly. Marissa looked down at her feet. "I thought so. Ryan," Seth said very carefully, as though trying to maintain his composure. His dark eyes flashed murderously and he repeated his demand through clenched teeth.

"The ring."

Ryan debated. Seriously debated about whether hanging onto the ring would be the best way to go at this point. Whether it would keep Seth from potentially making the huge mistake he believed it would be. Whether keeping it would mean protecting Seth, or losing him forever as a brother and friend.

"Here," Ryan said dejectedly, placing the ring in Seth's open palm. Seth said nothing in return, instead pocketing the ring box in his pants pocket before turning to leave.

"Seth, wait." Ryan called out. What did it matter what he thought? He considered hurriedly. Didn't what really mattered was that he was there for his brother and best friend? Seth had supported him, even when he didn't agree with Ryan's decisions.

"No, Ryan. I think you brought up some really good points. Thanks for giving me something to chew on."

"Seth!"

"Dinner with my beloved awaits."

And with that, Seth left.


End file.
